Therapeutic apparatus



April 22, 1930. F. A. ANDERSON THERAPEUTIC APPAfiATUS Filed May 26, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet NW N B by a M21901: 210 W W ale/5,

April 22, 1930. F. A. ANDERSON I 1,755,418

THERAPEUTI C APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 22, 1930. F. AIANDERSON 1,755,418

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 A April 22, 1930. F. ALANDERSON 1,755,418

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I Lf l/itfi" 9561?; a, Jade/150w y a lw a ghaml rm p 1930- F. A. ANDERSON I 1,755,418

THERAPEUTI C APPARATUS 7 April 22, 1930.

F. A. AN DEIRSON 1,755,418

THERAFEUTIC APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 22, 1930 PAT NT OFFICE FRITZ A. ANDERSON, OF MILTON, WISGONSIN,ASSIGNOR TO THE BURDICK CORPORA- TION, OF M'ILTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Application filed. May as,

My invention relates to therapeutic apparatus.

It will be illustrated and described as embodied in equipment particularly intended for use wherever large groups of persons are to be subjected to ultra violet ray treatment, such as at public health centers, gymnasiums, public schools and like institutions.

An objector the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for therapeutic light small compartment, thus reducing the space.

necessary for the installation of the device.

Another object is to provide apparatus in which the patients receive treatment while standing up so that all sides of the body are simultaneously exposed to the ultraviolet ra s.

A further object is to provide apparatus in which the patients may be successively exposed to the ultra violet rays, or in which exposure of a group of patients may commence and end at the same time.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. e

. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan of the equipment with the roof of the central compartment removed andparts thereof broken away;

Fig.2 is an end elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the opposite end of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line l-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus with parts thereof in section;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged top planof the power 1928. Serial No. 280,731.

drive and speedchanging mechanism. for actuating the conveyor tread; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6.

In general, the equipment selected for illustration comprises a compartment A, having a plurality of ultra violet ray generating lamps B arranged along its opposite side walls; a driven conveyor tread C, extending centrally through the compartment and beyond the opposite ends thereof; driving mechanism D tor'moving the conveyor tread; a master control station E having controlling members: for regulating the intensity of lamps Band the speed of the conveyor tread driving'mechanism; and approach andexit walks F and G at the opposite'ends of the conveyor tread C respectively'whereby patients may ascend to the level of-tread C, upon whic'htread may stand'during treatment, and

may descend from the tread after treatment.

Compartment A'has' but two openings 10 and 11 respectively at its opposite ends through'which the ends ofthe endless belt conveyor tread C extend. The openings 10 and 11 are sufiicientlylarge to permit a person standing upon tread G to be moved into and out of the compartment. Sliding doors 12 are provided to close openings 10 and 11 (see Fig. 3) for a purpose hereinafter described though for ordinary operation of the equipment these doors remainopen.

The floor 13 of compartment A is contiguone with the uppersurface of conveyor tread C and slopes upwardly toward the side walls 140i the compartment, as shown in Fig. 4, so that a patient standing upon tread C may not injure himself "by walking off of the tread during the course of treatment. In like manner the upper ends 15. and 16 of walks F and G are contiguous with the upper surface of the conveyor tread to enable the patient to walk to and from the tread with out difficulty or danger.

The ultra violet ray generating units B are preferably of the mercury arc type employing a quartz tube mercury arc lamp 18 having a curved reflector 19 at the rear so as to distribute the rays in a wide bend above the conveyor tread C. These units may be replaced with infra red ray generating units or any other units for generating and projecting rays beneficial to the human body depending upon the character of treatment desired.

Conveyor tread C is of the endless type and comprises a plurality of laterally aligned wood slats hingedly connected with one another and each having rollers 21 at their pivotal connections 22. Rollers 21 ride upon two pairs of sprocket wheels 23 and 2a, a pair at each of the opposite ends, respectively of the tread and are guided in a channel on the upper half of the span between sprocket Wheels 23 and 24:, thus maintaining the upper. surface of the tread level and con tiquouswith the adjacent edges of floor 13'. The lower span of the conveyor tread be tween sprockets 23 and 24 is prevented from undue sagging by angle irons 25 lying beneath and parallel to channels 25, upon which rollers-21'ride (see Fig. 4) The upper side 26 of channels 25 form a part of the floor 13.

Driving mechanisml) is mounted under floor 13 and is connected with the shaft 27 of sprockets 23 by a sprocket- 28 mounted upon the end of shaft 27 and a drive chain 29.. Chain 29 passes over a sprocket 30 on the shaft 31 of a reduction gear mechanism 32 having a reduction ratio of approxlmately 1 20 to 1. The driven shaft 33 of reduction gear mechanism 32 is connected by a coupling 34 to the drive shaft 35 of a speed changing transmission 36. This speed changing transmission may be of the type illus trated in U. S. Patent bio-1,4405%, issued January 2, 1923, to'Milt-on Reeves and comprises a driven shaft 37 interconnected by a variable friction belt drive 38 with drive shaft 35 whereby the speed ratio between shafts 37 and 35 may be changed at will. A rotatable rod 39, forming part of the transmission, actuates the friction drive to cause a change in the speed ratio between he driven and drive shaft. 7 To enable an operator standing at station Gr to alter the speed of conveyor tread C, a hand'wheel a0 is mounted in a convenient position at station E and connected with rod 39by a drive rod ll and universal joints 42.

Driven shaft 37 of the speed mechanism has a relatively large pulley'wheel 43 mounted thereon which is connected with the drive pulley 44 of an electric motor 45 by a belt 46.

A switch 48 mounted at station E and with in convenient reach of the operator is employed to control motor e5. In order that the operator may observethe exact speed'atwhich conveyor tread C is moving, a tachometer 50 is mounted at station E and connected by a flexible drive shaft 51 with a gear 52 which is in mesh with a gear 53 carried by the driven shaft 35 of the speed changing mechanism.

The operation by watching tachometer 50 changing and adjusting the speed of the conveyor tread, by actuation of Wheel 40, may accurately control the time during which a patient standing upon tread C is subjected to the rays of the ultra violet ray generating units as he passes through compartment A.

The operator during operation of the equipment will stand at the station E upon a plat form 50? at the level of tread C and will start 1notor l5 by closing switch 38. The speed of the conveyor belt or tread C is then determined by the time of exposure of the patients S during treatment and hand wheel 40 operated to adjust the speed changing mechanism 36 until the conveyor tread is moving at the proper speed, as evidenced by a reading of the tachometer.

The ultra violet ray lamps B are turned on and the intensity of their illumination is regulated by rheostats 52, located upon an instrument panel 53 in front of the operator at station E. Voltmeters 54 are provided so that the operator may determine the voltage impressed upon each of the lamps 18. Each of the generating units B has in its circuit a switch 55, voltmeter 54 and a rheostat 52 so that one or all of the generating units may be used during treatment and each independent ly regulated.

After the generating units are in operation the patients S will mount entrance walk F and stand sidewise upon the moving tread C with their backs toward one of the walls 14: of the compartment and facin the opposite wall. A metal railingGO is mounted at one side of entrance walk F and exit walk G and platforin50 to'guard againstfalling from the walks and platform while walking or standing thereupon or stepping to and from the conveyor. Fig; 2 illustrates themanner in which patients S mount the entrance walk F and stand upon tread C and Fig. 5 illustrates a group of patients standin upon the tread simultaneously receiving treatment. Arrow 61 indicates the direction of travel of tread C. The patient at the extreme left will be the first one to be moved out of compartment A to a point in registration with the exit walk G, whereupon he will descend thewalk to the floor level. Thetpatient at the extreme right and standing upon tread C is about to be moved into the compartment where his treatment by exposure to theultra violet rays will commence.

If a second and longer exposure to the rays is to be administered at a later date,.as is the usual course in periodical treatment, the speed of tread C is decreased by operation of speed changing mechanism 36 in the manner described and the patient will then remain within the compartment a relatively longer time due to the slower motion of the tread.

While my improved apparatus is primarily intended for the treatment of a large number of patients successively admitted to the moving tread and subjected to the ultra violet rays, the solarium may also be used to simultaneously treat a small group, the treatment I for all starting and ending at the same time.

Where this course of treatment is to be followed, the conveyor tread will remain at a stand-still and the patients will walk upon the tread and stand within the compartment. Thereupon the operator may maintain the ultra violet ray generating units in operation for a time suflicient to result in the desired exposure. Doors 12 during this time may be closed if desired and opened at the end of the treatment so that the patients may walk out through the exit door 11 and descend walk G. Another group may be in readiness for similar treatment and in a position at entrance walk F to Walk upon the tread.

Having thus illustrated and described the nature and one embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. Therapeutic apparatus comprising a compartment, a radiant energy generator within the compartment. an endless moving belt-like tread by which patients may be moved through the compartment in the path of rays emitted by the radiant energy generator, and means for controlling the treat-.

ment, said means including a controller for varying the speed of the belt tread to vary the time a patient is subjected to the rays.

and a controller for varying the intensity of c the emission of the radiant energy generator.

trolling the time a patient is subjected to the rays.

5. Therapeutic apparatus comprising a compartment, a radiant energy generator within the compartment, a movable platform for carrying patients through the compartment in the path of the rays emitted by the radiant energy generator, and a source of power connected to move the platform so as to carry a patient through the path of the rays in the time required for one treatment.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22 day of May, 1928.

FRITZ A. ANDERSON.

2. Therapeutic apparatus comprising a compartment, a radiant energy generator within the compartment, an endless belt-like tread by which patients may be moved through the compartment in the path of rays from the radiant energy generator, a drive for said tread, and a controller for varying the speed of the tread to control the duration of treatment by controlling the time a patient is passed through the compartment in the path of the rays. 7 V

3. Therapeutic apparatus comprising a compartment, a radiant energy generator within the compartment, an endless belt-like tread for supporting and carrying patients through the compartment in the path of the rays emitted by the generator, and a variable speed drive for moving and controlling the speed of the belt-like tread to vary the duration of treatment by varying the time required for a patient to be carried through the compartment in the path of the rays.

4. Therapeutic apparatus comprising a compartment, a radiant energy generator within the compartment, a movable platform for carrying patients through the compartment in the path of the rays emitted by the radiant energy generator, a source of power for moving the platform, and a controller for varying the. speed of the platform to control the duration of treatment by con- 

